Clasp



A. M I. KILBY April 12 1927.

CLASP Filed July 19, 1926 Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

UNITE STATES ANGUS MCISAAC RILEY, OF BANGOR, MAINE.

CLASP.

Application filed July 19,

The invention relates primarily to im provements in clasps which are adapted for use to connect key rings with articles of apparel, such as belts or the waist bands of trousers.

The device is of a nature embodying a clamping lever which, when forced to a closed position, tightly holds the clasp applied to the belt or the like, but when swung outwardly permits detachment of the clasp from the article of apparel. It is the object of the invention to provide a clasp of this general type in which novel provision is made for holding the clamping lever in its effective position.

\Vith the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawing.

F ig. 1 is an edge view of the clasp with the clamping lever swung outwardly to re l ased position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 or Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating the clamping lever swung almost to its closed effective position.

Fig. 4. is a front elevation of the clasp with the lever in the position of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is aview similar to Fig. -l but showing the clamping lever in its fully closed or operative position.

Fig. (5 is an edge view partly in section as indicated by line (S6 of Fig. 5.

Fi T and 8 are sectional views on tho i*orrespondingly numbered lines oi Figs. 1, and (3 respectively.

in the drawings above briefly described, 10 des gnates a U-shaped body whose arms 11 and 12 are adapted to straddle a belt. the waist band of a pair of trousers, or other article of apparel. In the present showing. one end of one of the arms (12) is provided with a hook 13 for engagement with a keyring or other desired article, a spring 1 1 and aguard 15 therefor, being employed to prevent accidental loss of the ring or the like from the body 10.

Between the arms of the body 10, av U- shaped spring 16 is mounted, said spring having appropriate projections 17 to grip the article of apparel upon which the device is used. A clamping lever 18 is provided relation with the belt or the like, or for 1926. Serial No. 123,504.

releasing the device for detachment. This lever is mounted and held in operative position, in a novelmanner.

The outer arm 11 of the body 10 is formed with a longitudinal slot 19 and the inner side of this arm is provided, at the lower end of said slot, with two alined grooves 20 which are disposed at right angles to the length of the slot. The lever 18 is provided with an angular lower end 21 which passes through the lower end of the slot 19 and is provided with laterally projecting axially alined trunnions 22 which are seated in the grooves 20, the common axis of said trunnions being somewhat oblique to the length of the lever 18, as most clearly shown in Figs. 4, 5, 7 and 8. It will thus be seen that when the lever 18 is forced almost to its closed or operative position (Figs. 8, 4 and 7), the major portion of said lever will not enter the slot 19. It is thus necessitated, in order to move said lever completely to operative position, that it shall be later ally tilted from the position of Figs. 4 and 7 to that disclosed in Figs. 5 and 8. This movement, which permits the body portion of the lever 18 to enter the slot 19, causes the trunnions 22 to ride up upon the transversely curved side walls of the grooves 20,

tention may be invited to the fact that the inner end 21. of the lever 18 has a reduced extremity engaging a slot 23 in the outer arm of the spring 16, so that as the lever is operated to force this spring into clamping relation with a belt or the like, the latter exerts such outward force on the lever, as to urge its trunnions 22 to move back from the position of Fig. 8 to that of Fig. 7. Thus, there is a tendency to swing the lever 18 toward the position shown in Figs. 4 and 7, but as the major portion of said lever is then within the slot 18, as shown in Fig. 6, this movement can not take place,and as the tendency of the lever to move in this manner is resisted by one of the edge walls of the slot 19, this edge wall and the lever are held in tight contact with each other so lUU that the lever is effectively held in its operative position and cannot accidentally release.

The device is simple and inexpensive, yet is eiiicient and very desirable, and with its use, the danger of losing keys or other articles carried by it, is reduced to the minimum.

1 clain i'lL device of the class described comprising a lJ-sha-ped body to straddle an article of app:.rel, one arm of said body having a longitudinal slot and being formed in its inner side with two alineu grooves at one end 0i." and at right angles to the length of said slot, the sides of said grooves diverging from the groove bottoms to the open sides of said grooves, a clan'iping lever having an angular end passing through said one end of said slot, said angular end of the lever being provided with laterally projecting axially alined t-runnions rockably seated in said grooves, the common axis of said trunnions being slightly oblique to the length of the lever necessitating canting of said lever as it is forced to closed position into said slot, said canting causing lateral sliding of the trunnions on the groove sides away from the groove bottoms, whereby the outward pressure of the clamped article on said lever will tend to force said trunnions again toward the groove bottoms and will consequently exert a swinging tendency on the lever toward one wall of the slot, causing sair lever to trictionally engage said slot wall and prevent RQfTlClOililLll swinging of the lever to released position. and a spring member carried by the aforesaid U- shaped body and engaging the lever to yield ably urge its trunnions toward the groove bottoms.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

ANGUS MCISAAC KILBY. 

